Tehran spring is busting out all over. Haaretz reports that Dennis Ross, Obama's point man on Iran, is being relieved of his duties and moved elsewhere. Haaretz:
Washington insiders speculate that a number of reasons moved the administration to reassign Ross. .. Ross is known to maintain contacts with numerous senior officials in Israel's defense establishment and the Israeli government.
Diplomatic sources in Jerusalem surmised that another possibility for Ross' ouster is his just-released book, "Myths, Illusions, and Peace – Finding a New Direction for America in the Middle East."Ross, who co-wrote the book with David Makovsky, a former journalist who is a fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, argued against a linkage between the Palestinian issue and the West's policy against Iran's nuclear ambitions.
Ross and Makovsky also raised the possibility of military action against Iran.
"Tougher policies – either militarily or meaningful containment – will be easier to sell internationally and domestically if we have diplomatically tried to resolve our differences with Iran in a serious and credible fashion," they wrote.
Three weeks ago we picked up the grumbling about Dennis Ross's new book; it contradicts Obama policy on the centrality of the Israel/Palestine issue to regional solution in the Middle East.
My theory about Ross is that he is the living embodiment of the Israel lobby. He has goldplated standing with conservative Jewish organizations (and is a friend of Tom Friedman's) and therefore cannot be sidelined without major political fallout for Obama. Meantime, Obama wants him away from the kitchen. So he keeps him around, in ever-more marginalized positions, so Ross won't start complaining publicly too much and create problems on Obama's right flank.
AIPAC would just love to form an anti-Obama, anti-J Street bloc with Dennis Ross, Gary Ackerman, and Robert Wexler–the Jewish center. But Obama and J Street are too shrewd. And so long as Dennis Ross is on board, no one in the Israel lobby can say that Obama is not being fair toward the Israelis. Some day Ross will be gone. But it will take years.
I think it will be soon. He'll get an ambassador-ship.
I hope he keeps getting new jobs every 3 months or so, just to keep him off-balance and less able to betray America again.
I do respect the rules for comments and I always have. Nevertheless, I just have to say what a gasbag Makovsky is, again in his appearance on Democracy Now this morning. How appalling that he can be part of any debate that purports to shed light to people on the left. And he was invited to comment both on Iran and Netanyahu! Makovsky and Ross personify the Lobby in the most pseudo-intellectual and self-serving sense.
More, here: http://justworldnews.org/archives/003615.html
Probably Ross' official responsibilities were getting in the way of his private efforts with Richard Holbrooke to vilify Iran in American print and TV media in preparation for an escalation of the U.S.-Iran conflict, especially now that Tehran has been branded as "anti-freedom" (Step 1). Obama did him a favor.
I hope you aren't going to muddy the waters of every topic with bogus "Tehran spring" nonsense, Phil. Incidentally, this isn't spring, it's summer.
I would have preferred the announcement that he was leaving to spend more time with his family — but I'll take what I can get at this stage.
It's hard to imagine Obama would keep him around at all after his book was published, which should be titled: How To Sell War On Iran to John Q Public. It sure does so the utter power of The Lobby. These Bipartisan Israel Firsters sure have a heavy coat of Teflon. On a related issue, I wonder who is behind the TV ad coming on a few times a day of late on Cable TV, the one pushing fear of Iran, protection of our sleeping children. It's low key but about as subtle Candy's old mushroom cloud and Hillary's direct threats before she became part of the Obama regime. So now what job does he have in the Obama administration?
"In his new post, the former Mideast peace envoy under President Bill Clinton will deal primarily with regional issues related to the peace process. " The above is from the Ravid article in Ha'aretz. If this rumor is true, does "peace process" refer to the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations? If it does, is this a better place for him to be?
The Power Behind Ahmadinejad's Disputed Win: Ayatullah Khamenei, by Tony Karon http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20090614/wl_time/085...
Good Riddance. His new book is full of the same bullshit that got us into Iraq.
@ Ira Exactly my question. I will freak out if I hear it is so. Wouldn't Obama be shooting himself in the (Cairo speechifying) foot by appointing "Israel's Lawyer" to get his hands directly on the P-I peace negotiations? Isn't he the guy who turned Palestinian rights (under international law) into needs, and by so doing framed Clinton's negotiations back in the day as an address of respective needs of the two parties, thus effectively requiring the Pal to give up much, the Israeli, virtually nothing? Of course, full of chutzpah, Ross pretended in his book the opposite was so. Ian Kelly, State Dept, is being peppered now live on C-SPAN about Ross's change of office. Kelly says Ross's book is "very good, " that anyone can be fired, that Ross is still close adviser to Hillary, "He's working very hard"–Kelly did not accept or deny that Ross is being reassigned–smiling away; pretending it was all funny…
I agree. Let's hope some influential person will point this out. Of course, such a person will not appear on MSM. Maybe on HBO's Daily Show?
summer starts june 20th or 21st, so it is still spring!
Burkina Faso, I hope.
Before we get too excited, lets see who his replacement is. There could be a Spring freeze.
Look, Obama's a smart guy. Maybe it's a case of keeping the "Lobby-friendly" folk close as he attempts to shift policy. After all, better to have them on your team where they have to form a united front and you can monitor them. Yeah, I know, wishful thinking……
Oh this is cute. Bye Dennis. But the last quote from Ross/Makovski is interesting. Roger Cohen noted the same potential ambiguity of overtures for negotiating: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/27/opinion/27iht-e... Tehran will not come to the table if it sees Obama’s extended hand as just a deceptive prelude to “crippling” measures..
Jones vs. Ross – Knock Out In The Third Round http://www.moonofalabama.org/2009/06/jones-vs-ros... Worth a peek I thought.
That's exactly what I thought. From an Israeli angle he did his job well, and its a field in which he has much expertise as Israel's lawyer..
RE: "Haaretz reports that Dennis Ross, Obama's point man on Iran, is being relieved of his duties and moved elsewhere." MY COMMENT: Yet more evidence that Obama is an anti-Semite and "Haaretz" is a bunch of self-haters.
Burkino Faso is a uniquely progressive country for one with such limitations and isolation.
paging: chas freeman all is forgiven?
Good. They should make a get along splendidly.
Oh I guess we're @ a one link limit are we? Time article on Ross: "…At the NSC, Ross will have a freer hand in some regards. Though there are already senior advisers for Arab-Israeli affairs and for Iran and the Gulf, he will be closer to Obama, who relied on him for advice on the region during the 2008 presidential campaign. At State, Ross had to navigate a crowded field of players, including Richard Holbrooke, the special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan; Bill Burns, who leads the stalled negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program; and George Mitchell, the Administration's envoy for Arab-Israeli affairs… http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,... Really? However, other rumours seemed to indicate he doing just fine over @ State –
Why are some of my comments going through fine, and others as usual have a problem either not appearing or have the "approval notice" thrust upon me…? It really puts off a person wanting to post.
2nd part to above — 'Ross's Empire building @ State' — http://www.thenation.com/doc/20090427/dreyfuss Wondering if this will get through.
Thanks for the link. I love the line
Ross does not have any experience as [a] spy – at least not for the United States.
@ Citizen It would sure be strange for Obama to move Ross into the I/P area. Here is a partial transcript of the Kelly non-denial, of Ross' rumored move.
Marsha B. Cohen on LobeLog http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,... Ross: Not out but up: Another Update: Time Magazine is now reporting that Ross is not going out but up, and that he will have more control over Iran policy: Dennis Ross, the Obama Administration’s special adviser on Iran, will be leaving his post at the State Department to become a senior adviser at the National Security Council (NSC) with an expanded portfolio, Administration officials told TIME. http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,...
Betray America? Come on! Any president who appoints him to anything relating to foreign policy knows exactly what he is getting. Either that or he is even more clueless than W.
I don't think the rules forbid calling someone like Makovsky a gasbag.
"In his new post, the former Mideast peace envoy under President Bill Clinton will deal primarily with regional issues related to the peace process. " Somehow this does not look like an improvement given his performance as Israel's lawyer in the "negotiations" during the Clinton regime.
Yes, I find this very difficult to get excited about. I mean, OK, good to get him as far away from Iran as possible, but he should be kept even farther out of anything to do with Israel.
Except it is not really riddance given what they say his new job will be.
Yeah, he is so smart he appointed Dennis Ross to be his Iran advisor – way to send a great message to Iran and the rest of the Middle East while simultaneously insuring you will never get anything but really incompetent, and dangerous advice about Iran.
Here are some quotes from the Time article LeaNder22 mentioned which indicate that Ross could be, indeed, moving up. Also, that he may have also be given a role in Arab-Israeli affairs. At the NSC, Ross will have a freer hand in some regards. Though there are already senior advisers for Arab-Israeli affairs and for Iran and the Gulf, he will be closer to Obama, who relied on him for advice on the region during the 2008 presidential campaign. At State, Ross had to navigate a crowded field of players, including Richard Holbrooke, the special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan; Bill Burns, who leads the stalled negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program; and George Mitchell, the Administration's envoy for Arab-Israeli affairs. "Ross is likely to have a greater role advising the President on the Arab-Israeli peace process. He was Bill Clinton's top envoy for Middle Eastern peace and knows the region and its players well." From Time website http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1093058.html The original Ravid article in Ha'aretz has also been updated. These quotes indicates that Time may be correct and that Ross may be assuming responsibilities for Israel-Palestine. Another possible reason for the reshuffle could be Ross' dissatisfaction with his present standing in the State Department, particularly given the fact that Washington's two other envoys to the region – George Mitchell, who is overseeing the Mideast peace process; and Richard Holbrooke, who is dealing with Pakistan and Afghanistan – wield great influence and are featured prominently. A diplomatic source in Jerusalem speculated that perhaps Ross preferred to work for the National Security Agency, which answers directly to President Barack Obama, and would thus be considered a more enhanced role. http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1093058.html